Identification and Analysis of Future Aeronautical Communications Candidates: A Study of Concepts and Technologies to Support the Aeronautical Communications Needs in the NextGen and Beyond National Airspace System

Abstract: This report describes the results of future aeronautical communications research conducted by Rockwell Collins employees under NRA contract to NASA. The overall goal of this research was to identify and begin to evaluate communication technology candidates expected to meet the long-term aircraft-to-aircraft and aircraft-to-ground data communications needs of Air Traffic Management in the NextGen and beyond National Airspace System (NAS), considering how the NAS and communications technologies…